I’m proud to announce that LSWA’s 1st annual Holiday Lunch and Party will be held on December 14th, 2013 at the private dining room of Romano’s Macaroni Grill in The Woodlands from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There will be plenty of time for socializing with fellow club members and we will have an instant gallery of members turned work for your viewing pleasure, as well as a “Crazy Santa” gift exchange that is sure to be a hoot and hollering good time!

RSVP Required – ASAP!

If you would like to attend the holiday lunch and party, we need your RSVP! The restaurant needs to know the correct number of attendees to arrange for extra kitchen and wait staff. We also need to know, so we can make sure we have the restaurant set up enough tables and chairs for the lunch and to set up enough space for the instant gallery.

Please email your RSVP to: Steve Russell (with the subject line “LSWA Holiday Lunch RSVP”) and include your name (as you would like it printed on your name tag) and the name of your spouse or significant other (if applicable for their name tag). Also, please indicate if you will be bringing any of your work for the instant gallery and give a general idea of the size of the work (i.e. 2 pens, one salad bowl and one platter, one wall sculpture etc.) for the instant gallery.

Holiday Party Details:

When: December 14th, 2013 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. If you will be showing any of your work in the instant gallery, please arrive at 10:45 a.m., so we can get your turnings arranged in the gallery.

Where: Romano’s Macaroni Grill – The Woodlands, (Private Dining Room) 1155 Lake Woodlands Dr., Spring, TX 77380. Phone: 281-367-3773. Google and Yahoo map links to the restaurant are at the bottom of this notice. (Note: Romano’s Macaroni Grill is located on the outer ring road of The Woodlands Mall, across from J.C.Penny’s, near TGI Friday’s)

Party Menu Details:
We will be ordering off the regular Macaroni Grill menu and separate checks will be available for all attendees. Here is a link to the Macaroni Grill menu.

Instant Gallery Opportunity:

In addition to having a fine lunch, we will also have an instant gallery set up of members’ finished turnings on display. Here is your chance to show everyone in the club what you’ve been up to in your studio.

If you would like to participate in the instant gallery, please bring no more than two finished turnings of your work and arrive at the restaurant at 10:45 a.m., so we can get your work arranged in the gallery.

“Crazy Santa” Gift Exchange:

We are also planning a “Crazy Santa” gift exchange at the party… If you’ve never participated in one of these, you’re in for a real treat. In a Crazy Santa gift exchange, each couple (or individual if single) brings one wrapped gift valued at no more than $25.00. The gift should be woodturning related, like a hand turned item that you have completed, a woodturning tool or jig, or something similar. Each person/couple who brings a gift will draw a number for the gift exchange.

All of the gifts for the Crazy Santa gift exchange will be placed under the LSWA tree in our private dining room. When the time comes to begin the gift exchange, the couple/individual with number one will select and open a gift from under the tree. The couple/individual with number two can either steal the opened gift, (in which case the first person will choose another gift from under the tree), or select a wrapped gift from under the tree and so on until all gifts have been opened.

There is a limit of two “steals” per gift due to time limitations. Once a gift has been stolen twice, it is locked with the current holder of the gift and it cannot be stolen again. I have participated in many Crazy Santa gift exchanges over the years in the Mercedes-Benz Club and I can tell you that they are always great fun. Participation in the Crazy Santa gift exchange is totally voluntary. If you do not bring a gift for the exchange, you cannot participate in the exchange of course, but you can still hoot and holler as everyone else plays. Brain Greb has agreed to act as our official Crazy Santa during the exchange.

To Recap: If you would like to participate in the Crazy Santa woodturning related gift exchange:

1.) Bring one wrapped gift per couple (or one if you are single, or attend by yourself) valued at no more than $25.00.

2.) When you drop your gift off, be sure to get your number for the gift exchange.

3.) Gifts can be stolen no more than twice. Once any gift has been stolen twice, it belongs to the last person who has it in their possession.